Written By Ken Hulsey
Just a mere 45 years ago, an iconic moment in television history unfolded that still brings a chuckle today. Picture this: the November 22, 1978 episode of the beloved sitcom *WKRP in Cincinnati*, titled "Turkeys Away." The plot revolved around a rather outrageous publicity stunt where the radio station decided to drop live turkeys from a helicopter. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Well, there's just one little hiccup with this plan—turkeys are not exactly known for their flying abilities.
As these unwitting birds started their rapid descent toward the ground, the station's weather reporter, Les Nessman, hilariously attempted to cover the chaotic scene from a nearby vantage point. His reporting parodied the dramatic radio broadcast made by Herbert Morrison during the infamous Hindenburg crash back on May 6, 1937. One can only imagine how a comedy sketch featuring falling turkeys would go over today; it might just ruffle a few feathers! But back in the free-spirited ’70s, audiences could appreciate a good laugh while distinguishing fact from fiction.
Rest assured, no real turkeys met their doom during the making of this skit. In fact, we never even laid eyes on the birds themselves. The brilliance of the scene lay in Les Nessman narrating from outside a store while the viewers were left to picture the unfolding mayhem in their minds. Had we actually seen those poor turkeys splattering on the ground, it might have been a darker comedy altogether!
Interestingly, *WKRP in Cincinnati* often drew inspiration from actual events, keeping the humor grounded in reality. In the very episode "Turkeys Away," station manager Mr. Carlson, along with his bumbling colleagues Herb and Les, masterminds a Thanksgiving promotion that would go down in legend for decades. Their idea? Dropping 20 live turkeys from a helicopter!
Now, you might think this sounds like pure fiction, but creator and co-writer Hugh Wilson reveals that he didn’t have to stretch his imagination one bit. In a fascinating interview with the Archive of American Television, he shared an astounding tidbit: the stunt was inspired by a true story! A friend of his, Jerry Blum, who was once the general manager of Atlanta's WQXI, recounted how he was actually fired from a Texas station for pulling off a similar turkey drop. Apparently, the goal was to spread some holiday cheer, but little thought was given to the logistically complex nature of tossing livestock from a flying machine.
As Blum amusingly recalled, "We thought we could just toss these live turkeys into the crowd for their Thanksgiving dinners. All of us, naïve and uneducated, figured that turkeys could fly. But of course, they just went... splat."
So here's to the hilarity of the past, where a little absurdity led to unforgettable television moments, reminding us that sometimes, the best stories are the ones rooted in reality!
No comments:
Post a Comment